By Kevin Mio, THE GAZETTE

Originally published: January 21, 2013

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

First introduced as a 2007 model, the GMC Acadia has undergone a major transformation for 2013. The Denali trim of the crossover I drove for nearly two weeks has also been heavily revised and continues to stand out above the rest of the lineup because of the extra touches applied to it.

In addition to the all-new design, Denali comes standard with all-wheel drive (optional on the rest of the Acadia lineup). Its exterior has a three-dimensional polished grille, unique front and rear fascias, body moulding with chrome accents, dual chrome exhaust outlets integrated into the rear fascia, 20-inch aluminum wheels and high-intensity headlamps.

The Denali also gets more features on the inside, such as leather heated and cooled front seats, aluminum trim, dual SkyScape sunroof, and Side Blind Zone and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The Denali, like all Acadia models, is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 which offers 288 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque. It is paired with a Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic transmission.

I have to say that, on the whole, I was satisfied with the Denali’s performance and handling. The engine power seems sufficient and the transmission doesn’t cause any issues, even though on some really cold mornings it briefly seemed a little sluggish. But then, I was sluggish those mornings, too.

On some bumps, I did notice some rather large rattles inside the cabin, but it wasn’t as bad as I have experienced in other vehicles.

The powertrain’s fuel efficiency is rated at 13.3 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 8.8L/100 km on the highway. During my extended time with the Denali, I averaged 15.4L/100 km.

Also standard on all Acadia models is hill-hold assist braking technology, which applies the brakes for 1½ seconds when the driver’s foot leaves the brake pedal on inclines of five per cent or steeper — a definite plus with some of Montreal’s steep streets.

Let’s dispense with a few issues I had with the interior straight away. First off, the steering wheel — though it felt nice — was undersized in my opinion. For a vehicle of this size, I just feel it needs to be beefier.

And for 60 grand, I would have expected a heated steering wheel since that would have been a welcome feature when the temperature hit minus-23 on my way home from work one night.

The second issue is the placement of the controls for the rear wiper. Rather than being on the steering column, it involves a button placed low on the centre stack, right behind the shifter. This means you usually have to take your eye off the road to make sure you’re hitting the right button — and not accidentally turning off the traction control, which is close by.

One last issue has to do with the soft-touch buttons that surround the LCD display screen on the centre stack. It takes some time to get used to them. And forget about operating them with a glove on your hand in the winter time because the soft-touch buttons don’t seem to like leather gloves.

Once you get past those nitpicks, though, the Denali’s interior, which can be configured for seven or eight passengers, is altogether pleasant. The materials in the Denali are nice and the overall quality of the cabin is good.

My test ride was a seven-seater, meaning the middle row had two captain’s chairs. And GMC has made accessing the third row easier thanks to the SmartSlide system, which sees the second-row seat cushion flip up while the seatback slides forward. The middle seats can be moved back to allow for more legroom for the second-row occupants or forward to increase storage space or legroom for those lucky enough to get seated in the third row.

In terms of cargo space, the Acadia offers 24.1 cubic feet available behind the third-row seat and up to 116.1 cubic feet with all the seats folded flat. Furthermore, GM says the Acadia’s storage space is large enough to carry items that are 48 inches wide, such as plywood and drywall.

Also, it can tow up to 5,200 pounds when properly equipped.

Pricing for the Acadia starts at $38,060, including freight and preparation. The Denali I tested goes for $60,950.

That is perhaps too rich for some in terms of buying a GM product when you consider what else you can get in the price range. But the Acadia does some things that those more luxurious models can’t — namely, move not just your family but also the drywall needed to finish your basement.